Diamonds N Cash gets Cup

He might not have thought it at the time, but Ken Breckon is certainly thankful now that no one was interested enough in Diamonds N Cash to buy him as a yearling.

Unable to meet his reserve when offered up as part of the Breckon Farms consignment at Karaka in 2016, the son of Rocknroll Hanover went back home after the sales and a long-standing relationship with Robert Dunn led to Breckon sending the horse to him to train.

A couple of years later, he now has a Marlborough Cup to show for it after the three-year-old caused an upset in the $15,000 feature at Blenheim on Sunday.

“Robert’s always been a big buyer of our stock at the sales over the years, so it is really nice to have one racing in his stable and it’s been really successful too.

“I think there were a few question marks over Rocknroll Hanover that year, he wasn’t the most popular stallion at the time and that may have been why we struggled to get him sold.”

A really nice type as a yearling, Diamonds N Cash should have probably sold on his maternal side alone.

A son of Diamonds N Gold, he is a half-brother to Maid In Splendour and also Glitzy Gal among other winners.

Diamonds N Cash was the last foal bred by the Breckon team from the mare before she was sold with the focus shifting to Maid In Splendour from a breeding perspective.

She has had one foal since being sold, an American Ideal colt named Yankee Gold who has been exported to Australia.

Prior to heading to Blenheim on the weekend, Diamonds N Cash had already been a profitable project for the Breckon Racing team having won three of 12 and placing four times as well.

But he took a big step in the right direction when he came from a long way back to rundown Forgotten Highway in the shadows of the post at $23-to-one - surprising plenty.

“Johnny (Dunn) actually rang before the first day and said he thought he would improve with the run on Friday and that he was a chance if he could step away on the second day.

“In my true style, I backed him on Friday and stopped him but never had a dollar on him on Sunday.

“My son George had a couple of dollars each way - and is about the only one I know who did.”

With four wins and close to $35,000 in the bank, Diamonds N Cash owes the Breckons nothing and so his future is now very much in his own hands.

“I think, if the right money was put on the table, we’d probably sell him, but he’s going good so there’s no rush.”